Stars lock up Lindell with 6-year, $34.8M extension

The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Esa Lindell to a six-year, $34.8-million contract extension on Thursday, the team announced.

Lindell's first big-money contract comes at an average annual value of $5.8 million and keeps the 24-year-old in Dallas until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The Finnish blue-liner logged a team-high 1553:37 of ice time at five-on-five this season and led the club with 161 blocked shots. He tallied career highs in goals (11) and points (32) in his third full NHL campaign.

Dallas selected the 6-foot-3 rearguard in the third round of the 2012 draft.

With blue-chip defenseman John Klingberg under contract through 2021-22, the Stars have locked up the core of their blue line for the next several years.

Still, with Ben Lovejoy, Roman Polak, and Taylor Fedun scheduled to become unrestricted free agents July 1, and Julius Honka coming off his entry-level deal, the Stars will have to make some important decisions to round out their defense corps.